A Different Kind of Game
by The Light of Cherry Blossoms
Summary: Anika just wanted to play a VRMMORPG, but it ends up becoming a Death Game and she has no idea what to do. Join Anika on her adventure through Aincrad as she learns, grows, and slowly loses her mentality. OC-centered


**Here you go!**

* * *

I smiled at the game in my hands. The new cover gleamed brightly in the sunlight filtering into my bedroom. I had found it on my doorstep and I was glad I had pre-ordered it so I didn't have to wait in line to buy it. Honestly, I couldn't have been happier.

My parents were at work; they wouldn't be home until after eleven. In fact, I had only just gotten back from my job. For once, I was glad we lived in a gated community. Otherwise, someone might've taken my game. My Sword Art Online. My escape. I slowly reached for the NerveGear helmet on my desk, my eyes never leaving the case. It depicted two people- a man and a woman- facing off a huge monster-like Boss that stood in front of the giant floating castle that was Aincrad. I loved it and it only heightened my excitement.

After I slipped the disk into my computer, the NerveGear went on and I layed down on my bed. I rarely slept on it, considering the fact I usually fell asleep at my desk. My eyes slowly slid closed, "Link start..."

Username: *****

Password: **********

Language: Japanese

When I reopened my eyes, I was in the middle of a courtyard, people forming around me. I bit my lip in excitement before walking into the game, a hop in my step. The town was already full of people. Laughter filled the air, swirling with the sound of many voices. I carefully stepped through the crowd, avoiding bumping into people. That was something I had learned awhile ago: don't bump into people. It was a bad idea in a world where people could "kill" you for no apparent reason; at least PvP wasn't allowed in this world in safe zones.

As I passed a jewelry stand, I stopped, looking over the merchandise. "Would you like to buy something?" the NPC- Rosa- asked, her tone sweet and soft-spoken.

I smiled, "No thank you. I'm just looking."

"Only looking? Are you sure you do not want this piece of jewelry?"

She held out a gorgeous necklace with a silver chain and a midnight blue pendant. I blinked at it twice. I had one exactly like it at home. In fact, I think I had it on when I put the NerveGear on. It had been a gift from my grandmother... She held it out a bit more eagerly, "It's on the house."

"N-no," I shook my head. "I couldn't."

"Please, it is a welcoming gift," she insisted.

Before I could protest again, pixels covered my neck and the necklace appeared on it. It felt cool against my skin. I looked at the NPC, only to find her gone. I glanced around, but saw no sign of Rosa. Soon, a new person appeared in her place, a man with a huge beard and large hands. It was hard to believe he was supposed to be a jeweler. The name "Polar" was displayed next to him. "Would you like to buy something?" he asked gruffly.

"Um... No thank you," I replied before turning on my heel and hurrying away.

Rosa was most likely a glitch. All new games had them. I reached for my neck and found that the pendant was still there. They must not have noticed it being added to my inventory. Oh well... I paused and looked at myself in a nearby window. I had tried to keep most of my appearance the same, but some of it had changed. I had no freckles like I did in real life and I was a bit...bustier...

Anyways... I nodded at my reflection before turning to look out over the crowd again. It seemed to get more and more crowded every second and I started to feel suffocated. I slowly backed into an alley, following the back roads until I found the exit from the city.

Past the gate, there was a large expanse of fields and lakes. The only way I could think to describe it was beautiful. Absolutely stunning. And it looked so realistic. Slowly, I wandered over to a lake with a dock. In the distance, I could see two guys killing pigs- well, one was; the other seemed to be losing his fight. I approached the dock, sitting down on the edge. As I pulled off my shoes, I watched a family of ducks float by.

My feet slipped into the cool water, goosebumps running up arms and legs. It was a welcomed feeling though. When I had first learned that you could feel in a VRMMORPG, I flipped out and decided to research how that was possible. Apparently, the program was made to have your avatar react the same way your real person would react. It used the stimuli branched through the body in the same way. Of course, the feeling of pain had been removed, but the rest of the senses were retained.

I swished my legs around in the water, humming a soft tune to myself. It was something my mom had sung to me when I was a little kid. She rarely sung to me anymore. She rarely sung at all. I watched the sunset and wasted my idle time. Tomorrow, I would actually start playing. For now, this was good enough. A few moments of peace meant the world to me.

When the sun finally set, I decided I should log out. I stood up and put my boots back on. When I moved my right hand down, the menu popped up. I reached for the log out button at the bottom of the menu. But, it wasn't there... I blinked. Was it a glitch or something?

Suddenly, an invitation popped up. I glanced at the boys who had been killing pigs and saw that it had popped up on their screens too. Curious, I accepted it.

I was teleported to the Town Square, where I had first entered SAO. I noticed other players were also there. It wasn't long until the courtyard was full. I craned my neck to look around, but my gaze paused on the sky. It started to change color. Not like fireworks or a sunset. It slowly melted into a deep crimson color; the color of blood.

The sky finally stopped changing, casting a red glow over everyone. It was completely silent. Something dropped from the sky, almost like rain. Then, the sky began to bleed. I had no other way to describe the red goop dripping from the crimson sky. The blood slowly formed a cloaked person. His size made him seem god-like and in a disturbing way: amazing.

There was no sound until his voice boomed through the courtyard, "Hello, players of SAO. As most of you have noticed, there is no 'log out' button in your menus."

I found myself nodding along with a few others. "Well, I am here to tell you this is no glitch." Aside from a few gasps, the silence still reigned over the sound. If silence could be deafening, that is what it would have felt like. "You see, I want a world in which I control. A world that is utterly mine. You are now in this game- permanently. Until you clear all of the floors or you die. For once you die in the game, you die in real life. We have made an announcement to everyone in the real world, telling them of your current... Situation. You cannot be removed or unplugged from the NerveGear; it will send shocks to your brain, frying it instantly. Some families have already tried to free players from the NerveGear, those players are now dead."

Silence.

"I welcome you to my world," he swept out his arms in what was supposed to be a welcoming gesture. There was nothing welcoming about it. "I have put an item in your storage. I suggest you look there now. This is the last you will see of me."

Then, he was gone. The sky was blue again, but I found no comfort in the color. Everyone did what he said and burst of colors filled the courtyard. I looked in my inventory, selecting the mirror. When it appeared in my hand, I found myself staring at my reflection: my real reflection. The one I saw in my mirror at home. I was enveloped in pixels as the mirror vanished and I looked down, seeing the pale skin of my real small hand.

A scream echoed through the courtyard and panic set in. Everyone had their own reaction, all of them negative. I could only stare at my hand. Could I beat the game? What if I never saw my parents again? What was the last thing I said to my mother? "Don't forget to sign the application!"? What was the last thing I said to my father? "You only care about work!"? Why didn't I say "I love you" instead? Why?

I sank to my knees as people rushed past me, most of them screaming. My breaths came out shortly while I felt something sting my eyes. Tears, I realized ruefully. I choked back a sob and furiously rubbed my sleeve on my face. My hands curled into fists. I would win, or die trying.

* * *

_Five months later..._

Five months. That was how long I had spent in Aincrad. That was how long I had been trapped in a virtual world. That was how long I had felt... Empty... My parents were probably going crazy. I know I was. We used to be really close but then, I don't know... Something changed. They started taking more shifts and I started spending more time at school until I was old enough to get a job. We all drifted apart, even them. The last time I saw them kiss was almost three years ago. They used to be all about displaying their affection. What had changed? Would I get out of here and be able to tell them how much I hated them acting that way? Would I ever be able to tell them I love them?

I pushed off the wall, sighing as I ran a hand through my hair. I shouldn't have been thinking about that; I should focus on finding the Boss. Time for some training until then.

I started walking to the outskirts of town, passing people discussing random things. People were already starting to get used to Aincrad, which didn't really surprise me. Even I was getting used to this world. I had started fighting on the front lines after Floor Five, when my level was high enough I could worry a bit less about dying, but not much. Of course, I had been solo for the entirety of my stay here, only going into combat when they found the Boss or I was going around exploring dungeons.

I paused, looking into a blacksmith shop. My reflection stared at me. I had finally purchased my own clothes: a high-waisted blue skirt, a black shirt, black cloak. My large two-handed sword was strapped to my back, it's ebony blade sparkling in the sunlight. In the reflection of the mirror, I saw someone watching me from the other side of the street. She had long black hair with a small ponytail on one side and soft brown eyes. She watched me cautiously, half of her face pressed against the wall. A feathered dragon rested on her head. I spun around to face her and she turned to run away, but I sprinted, picking her up by her collar as the dragon jumped into the air. "I-I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, wiggling in my grasp, "I didn't mean to seem weird!"

"Why were you following me?" I asked, holding her up to my eye level.

She lowered her gaze, "I heard you playing your lute when you were practicing in the courtyard. It just... It reminded me of my mom." She looked up at me, tears shimmering in her eyes.

I put her down, instantly feeling terrible. I crouched down to her level, "Don't cry. It's okay."

She suddenly threw her arms around me and I grunted in surprise before slowly smoothing down her hair. She pulled away and wiped at her eyes, "S-sorry."

I shook my head, "It's fine. I miss my mom too. You'll see her when the game is finished, though."

"I won't," she replied sadly and I frowned. "She's gone forever."

"Oh," my hands flew up to my mouth. "I'm so sorry..." I looked at her cursor. "Hachi."

She shook her head, "It's fine. It's not your fault. I liked your song, by the way."

I smiled softly, "Thank you. Now, where's your Guild? We better get you back to them."

"I don't have a Guild," she replied.

"What are you doing on this Floor without a group?!" I exclaimed. "You're too young to be walking around by yourself."

"I'll have you know I'm fifteen!" she pouted, crossing her arms.

I rolled my eyes, "I seriously doubt that. How old are you really?"

"Fine... Just don't tell anyone," she waited for me to nod. "I'm nine."

"Nine? Why are you playing SAO?!"

She shrugged, "I guess I just wanted to make some new friends. It's a little lonely at home."

"Oh," was all I could say. I knew that feeling. It had been lonely for me too. I had planned on staying solo a bit longer, but I couldn't just leave her alone. "Hey," I stood up. "Why don't we form a partnership?"

The dragon swooped down to rest on her head. She contemplated it for a moment before smiling. "Okay! My name's Hachi and this is Kriem," she gestured to the dragon.

I smiled, "Anika. Now, let's go to my place. It's not far from here."

I held out my hand and after a moment's debate, Hachi grabbed it, her small hand sliding into mine with ease. "Are you hungry?" I asked and she nodded. "What do you want?"

"An apple?"

"That's it? Okay then, let's get some apples on our way there."

She smiled and Kriem made a sort of pleased sound. I laughed; I had a feeling I would enjoy their company.

~.~.~

Hachi bit into the apple, smiling brightly as she glanced around my apartment. Finally, she met my gaze before lowering it to the floor. "You have a nice apartment, Anika."

"Thank you, Hachi. Now, would you mind telling me what you're doing on this floor. Isn't there a refuge for younger kids like you on the First Floor?"

The younger girls lowered her gaze even more. "I was... Following someone..."

I tilted my head, "Who?"

She met my gaze, tears shining in her brown eyes, "A monster. W-we were just exploring the dungeon when a monster came out of nowhere and... Killed him..."

"Wouldn't the monster still be in the dungeon though?"

Hachi shook her head, "It was a Traveler."

I blinked twice. Travelers were rare monsters that moved from place to place. The fact that Hachi had encountered one was disturbing and it made me feel disgusted. No one knew what to expect when confronted with one. "I'll... Help you find it, Hachi, but we are going to need a small group to help us out."

"Really?" Hachi's eyes glimmered with appreciation. "Oh, thank you, Anika!"

"Don't thank me yet, short-stuff. We still need to find us a temporary guild. For now, get some sleep. We'll go looking in the morning."

The girl nodded before standing up and skipping to the guest bedroom. I waited until I heard the door close, then stood up and walked over to the window. I wasn't sure why I wanted to help Hachi. Maybe she reminded me of myself or maybe I was just lonely. Either way, we would find that bastard Traveler and kill it.

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**Hope you liked it!**


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